Where Do River Otters Live?

North American river otters live in Northern California and throughout a lot of the United States and Canada.

In California, river otters live in the San Francisco Bay watershed. They live along the banks of rivers and streams in the mountains, and they live in man-made canals and reservoirs. They live in creeks running through small towns, and they live in the marshes of the San Francisco Bay Delta.

River otters like to make their homes near water. They find unoccupied burrows, beaver lodges, rock piles, logs or anywhere safe that they can fit. The best dens have an underwater entrance so that predators like hawks, coyotes and bobcats can’t come in. We call a river otter den a “holt” or a “couch.”

Fish are river otters’ favorite food. They’re not picky eaters, though: they’ll also snack on crayfish, swimming bugs, frogs, rodents and even birds!

Wherever you can find lots of clean fresh water and plenty of food, keep your eyes open as you might find a river otter!